California State University, Monterey Bay
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Imposter Syndrome in First Generation College Students
No full textMany first-generation college students may not feel a sense of belonging in a four-year university, potentially developing Imposter Syndrome. Imposter Syndrome is described as students doubting their abilities and thinking that success is impossible for them. When first-generation college students experience imposter syndrome, they may begin to question their own skills and experience as well as dissatisfaction in their lives while in college (Holden, Wright, Herring, Sims, 2021) As a result, first-generation college students experience a higher level of stress and anxiety and may be at risk of dropping out (Holden, Wright, Herring, Sims, 2021. When first-generation college students recognize the signs of imposter syndrome, they are able to see the university as an accepting environment and learn how to develop a sense of belonging. In order to address this issue, I created a presentation for the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at Cal State Monterey Bay
The Solitary Sinking Phytoplankton Cell and the Biological Carbon Pump
Get PDFQuantitative and taxonomic resolution of the particles exported into the mesopelagic is necessary to provide the missing mechanistic connections that determine the strength of the oceanic Biological Carbon Pump (biological pump) and more specifically the fate of sinking carbon through the region of highest remineralization, the upper twilight zone (~95-500 m deep). Through the investigation of phytoplankton cells that individually settled into polyacrylamide gel layers (gels) in two oceanic basins, we were able to quantify the export of single phytoplankton cells in the upper mesopelagic. Solitary sinking phytoplankton cell (SSPC) fluxes were inventoried extensively in three successive deployments of sediment traps containing gels during the EXport Processes in the Ocean from RemoTe Sensing (EXPORTS) campaigns in the North Pacific Ocean Station Papa (OSP) in August-September 2018 and again at the North Atlantic Porcupine Abyssal Plain (PAP) in May 2021. We characterize this distinct export pathway as highly variable in space and time, exhibiting up to 7.5-fold magnitude change over a three-week period, and also decoupled from other biogeochemical flux proxies. We suggest that SSPCs in both ocean basins were primarily delivered to mesopelagic depths by particle disaggregation. We observed that cells continued to sink after being ejected from particles at depth, at rates of 5-17 m d-1, and that many deeply injected cells were still alive, providing a labile, high-value food source and potentially seeding future phytoplankton blooms. Although SSPCs do not account for a large percentage of total POC fluxes, their presence provides a proxy for important but transient, and often fine-scale, export processes in the mesopelagic that have continuously eluded direct observation
Improving Stress Management for Young Adolescents
Get PDFMany young kids deal with stress that tends to lead to general anxiety disorders. This has been heightened among the youth during and after the Covid 19 pandemic. A lack of awareness in how to manage stress can become overwhelming. Overwhelming stress can scaffold into further anxiety disorders within the child’s future. This is where anxiety disorders may start to develop once the child starts entering later adolescents and young adulthood. In order to address this issue I created a four day skateboarding lesson program for five elementary school students who are from the ages of six to eleven years old. Within this lesson plan I had created, I brought forward ways of managing stress with the participants as the learning basic skateboarding maneuvers took place
Stories of a Queer Femme
Get PDF“Stories of a Queer Femme” is a collection of poems about my experience being queer and non-binary while still presenting very feminine. The poems explore growing up, experiencing love, and accepting my life while outside of the gender binary. This collections reveals the course theme of hidden histories: We have always been here. We will always be here. Our lives and our stories matter
Empowering Latinos to Pursue a Degree in Astronomy/Physics
Get PDFEmpowering Latino students to pursue careers in astronomy/physics is possible if we find the correct way to help them. Astronomy can help our planet, and physics teaches us how to appreciate our earth and everything around us. Currently, Latinos are underrepresented in these careers. This senior capstone examines the different ways that schools could empower Latino students to pursue careers in astronomy/physics. Through the use of literature review, interviews with two teachers and one astronomer, and an anonymous survey of students, the result findings indicate that introducing careers in astronomy/physics to Latino students at a young age could spark their curiosity that would lead them to pursue careers in science even though it may pose a challenge for schools to do so, but that could spur curiosity for them to explore more careers in science
The Genomics of Pesticide-Remediating Microbes Relevant to Agricultural Specialty Crops Grown on California’s Central Coast
Get PDFThe overuse of pesticides in agricultural soils has been a long-discussed issue with implications for human health and optimal ecosystem functioning. These compounds may negatively affect non-target species and trophic webs that are otherwise harmless to crops. Various bacteria have been shown to have the capacity to metabolize pesticides, contributing to their remediation from the environment. In order to assess the community context for bacterial remediation of pesticides, we are characterizing soil bacteria communities that exist in agricultural-adjacent soils impacted by pesticide usage across Monterey County, CA.
We collected soil and water samples from fifteen sites exhibiting a range of land uses from May through November 2019 and performed pesticide tests using Abraxis ELISA kits for pyrethroids, organophosphates / carbamates, and imidacloprid. We isolated DNA from the samples with the Qiagen DNeasy soil/fecal microbe and water kits and amplified the 16S rRNA gene using the 319F and 806R primers as described in Fadrosh et al. 2014.
Through amplification of the 16S rRNA gene, we identified the bacterial species in the samples by matching bacterial sequences to online genetic databases for species identification. We sequenced amplicons on the Illumina MiSeq platform and processed the sequencing data to pair with the pesticide test results to determine how pesticide type and concentration may affect soil bacteria community diversity. The pesticide test results show predictably low / negligible readings from sites with non-agricultural land uses, with imidacloprid being the only detected pesticide in several of the agricultural sites in significant concentrations. We did not detect a decrease in overall species diversity in sites with greater imidacloprid concentrations, nor significant shifts in community structure. However, we identified key bacteria with pesticide-remediating capabilities in the agricultural sites that were not present in the natural sites
The Decline in African-American Players in Major League Baseball
Get PDFAfter Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947, Major League Baseball saw an increase in African-American participation. Despite numerous Black superstars who have played the game, participation has declined over time. The decline became evident to many during the 2022 World Series; zero active African-American players were on either team\u27s roster.
This project aims to uncover the various factors contributing to the decline in African-American participation in baseball. It also serves as a way to highlight the stories of specific Black players. Statistical evidence and articles highlight the decline in participation and Black players\u27 stories. The final product was a research essay that concluded with solutions to improve African-American participation in baseball
[2023 Winner] The Removal of Beach Flats Community Garden: A Case of Environmental Racism
Get PDFThe Removal of Beach Flats Community Garden: A Case of Environmental Racism is a podcast that details the plight of the Latinx community in the Santa Cruz County area of the Beach Flats. The community reclaimed an abandoned plot of land over 25 years that was being used for drug deals and prostitution. The community changed it into a community garden celebrating the various cultures from South America. The Seaside Corporation owns the land, which, despite not using it for years, decided in 2016 they would like to reclaim the land to pave a storage parking lot. This podcast details the plight of the community, interviews a documentarian who followed the struggle for the garden, and explains that environmental racism is not always massive companies dumping toxic waste. Environmental racism can happen on a much smaller scale even in areas we don’t expect.https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/esa_submissions/1138/thumbnail.jp
Parental Involvement: Breaking Barriers for Immigrants in (K-12) Education
No full textThe focus of this Capstone Project is on parent involvement for non-English speaking parents and the roadblocks they face. This is an important issue because parental involvement is important in fostering academic success for students. The primary stakeholder perspectives chosen were non-English speaking parents, teachers, and former students. These stakeholder perspectives were chosen given the demographic location of the schools and population. A predominantly immigrant and Hispanic population paved the way for collecting data and understanding the issue. Three themes/action options emerged from an analysis of the interview data.: Cultural Linguistic Services, Teachers Becoming Digital Citizens, and Increasing Resources for the indigenous Communit
Attending Excellence: Supporting Elite Athletes in Elementary School
Get PDFThis Capstone Project aimed to investigate the school-related challenges and benefits of having a K-6th grade child who participates in travel or club level sports during the school year as an elite athlete. There was little to no relevant research literature on this topic, but I was able to navigate and build off of other formative research surrounding the main idea; excessive absences related to sports and extracurricular activities, and truancy. Based on the analysis of the data collected, I used what I had learned to formulate an action plan that responds to the challenges parents experience raising an elite athlete in a way that inspires, informs, or involves a particular audience. One of the biggest hurdles that elite student athletes and their parents have to deal with is truancy. The focus of this capstone project provided a solution for parents and elite student athletes to receive support from their elementary school when having to miss school for a competition or tournament